National Geographic Live brings our Explorers from the field to your city, live on stage. Journey to the Arctic with photographer and National Geographic Explorer Kiliii Yüyan, whose captivating images celebrate the resilient wildlife and diverse Indigenous communities in the polar north.

In the Arctic, sea ice is as common as sand in the desert. The ice is vital for transportation, for food, and for living. Half a million Indigenous people call this frosty land home, but they’re not alone. The northern edges of the planet teem with life. Polar bears, musk ox, whales, and caribou co-exist with their human neighbors. Stunning images and awe-inspiring moments abound as photographer Kiliii Yüyan navigates the ice and waters of the polar north.

ABOUT THE EXPLORER
Kiliii Yüyan is an award-winning photographer capturing the human experience in some of the world’s harshest environments. He is a 2023 recipient of National Geographic’s Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling. Yüyan has a unique talent for showcasing stories of the Artic and the human communities connected to the land. He leans on his ancestry that is both Nanai and Chinese-American as he explores other cultures. In addition to National Geographic, Kiliii is a contributor to Vogue, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Guardian, and Nature Conservancy.